(03-03-2025, 08:07 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You don't want to be a dumpster fire and finish last or second-to-last, but really outside of that the only goal for spring training should be getting some playing time and staying healthy. No other success seems to really ever carry over from Spring Training.

Last year....
Our top three HR guys were CES, Luke Maile, and Nick Martini
Stuart Fairchild led us in doubles
Will Benson led us in both walks and stolen bases
Spencer Steer was our AVG leader hitting .340
Luke Maile, Mike Ford, Stuart Fairchild, Spencer Steer, and CES all had 30+ AB and an OPS over 1.000

Heck...
The Rockies were 2nd in the Cactus League last year and finished 61-101 in regular season.
The Padres were 12th in the Cactus League last year just one spot above us and finished 93-69 in the regular season and went to the Division Series in the postseason.


- - - - - -

So I have long since taken a much more passive viewing experience of Spring Training and really just hope that they don't go winless and as many starters are healthy for Opening Day as possible.

(03-04-2025, 10:50 AM)Goalpost Wrote: The good.  Reds stole 5 bases last night against the Brewers.  One of them was stealing home on a double steal.  

The bad.  The Reds were picked off 3 times.  And had 1 caught stealing.  To be fair, one Brewer pitcher had a borderline balk move.

In early spring, Francona mentioned that his managerial preference was to leave a player alone after a 1st mistake.  But confront him, unlike Bell did, if a second one occurs.  

We'll have to see if Francona can really fix the bad here.

(03-04-2025, 10:50 AM)Goalpost Wrote: The good.  Reds stole 5 bases last night against the Brewers.  One of them was stealing home on a double steal.  

The bad.  The Reds were picked off 3 times.  And had 1 caught stealing.  To be fair, one Brewer pitcher had a borderline balk move.

In early spring, Francona mentioned that his managerial preference was to leave a player alone after a 1st mistake.  But confront him, unlike Bell did, if a second one occurs.  

We'll have to see if Francona can really fix the bad here.

(03-05-2025, 12:37 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Ashcraft got rocked yesterday 2.2 innings pitched 8 hits, 5 runs back to being the guy we know and love  

(03-05-2025, 02:00 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: When you can't throw a fastball for a strike so you throw nothing but cutters . . . it's time to give up on the dream of being a starter and focus on being the best reliever that you can be.

(03-09-2025, 01:18 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Today's lineup looked pretty official.

Friedl - CF
McLain - 2B
De La Cruz - SS - 0 for 2 with 2 Ks lefty . . . sweet balanced stroke on a ground ball up the middle batting righty. Still hitting .526 in this ST.
Hays - LF
Lux - 3B  2 for 2 today with two walks. Now hitting .278 in Spring
Stephenson - DH
Fraley - RF
Encarnacion-Strand - 1B - 2 for 3 today with an infield single and another bomb. Now hitting .300 this Spring.
Trevino - C

All that's really missing is Steer and Candelerio. I like this lineup. Spreads out the lefties pretty well. Add in Espinal and either Fairchild, Dunn or Herd of Bees, who is having a heck of a Spring(hitting .571) and had yet another great play on defense today.

First time that I've seen Lyon Richardson pitch since his brief call up a couple of seasons ago. He only threw one inning today but he looked far more like a pitcher than just a thrower. Another potential #5 starter . . . The Reds have a lot in their arsenal. There were seasons where we had no idea who was going to finish out the starting five.

(03-10-2025, 07:24 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: I smiled watching this play out in the top of the first. I think that I'm going to like this Francona guy.

Friedl walks . . . advances to 2B on a wild pitch.
McLain hits a ground ball to the 2nd baseman, Friedl advances to 3rd - LOVED watching basic, winning baseball.
De La Cruz hits a hard ground ball that gets by a drawn in infield.

Last year, we watched guys trying to crush the ball and hit in front of the runner, by hitting behind the runner, that enabled Elly's hit to happen because if the defense wasn't pulled in to stop the runner on 3rd, that's out number two instead of a hit.
Hays flies out to left.
Candelerio then hits a two out homer for a 3-0 lead.
Under David Bell, there's a great chance that the inning would have been scoreless.


Elly's shortened stride/swing was noticed by the Padre announcers. They commented that he stayed alive on his second plate appearance because of it.

"Last year, he wouldn't have fouled that off. Since he's shortened his leg kick, he's able to see the ball a little longer because he's not committing so early."

He later earned a walk . . . he got thrown out stealing a couple of pitches later, but he turned a 2024 strikeout into a 2025 walk.


Greene with only one hit given up through three innings, a two out single by Bogaerts in the 2nd inning. He then gave up a solo shot to Tatis Jr to start the 4th before striking out the next three. 49 pitches - 37 strikes - 5 Ks - 0 BBs - 2 hits - 1 HR

Edited to add: All nine starters had three plate appearances except for Friedl and McLain, they had four plate appearances. Get them ready for game 1! LOVE IT!!!